Pre-selective coin counter



Sept. 20,1966 H. SEIDEN FEE-SELECTIVE COIN COUNTER Filed Jan. 24, 1964 N m5. v F L M w E m m United States Patent 3,273,571 PRE-SELECTIVE COIN COUNTER Herman L. Seiden, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Lion Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 340,033 11 Claims. (Cl. 133-8) This invention pertains to coin-counting apparatus which can be selectively pre-set to count and deliver any desired number of coins of given denomination, and affords a simplified construction which is of a compact, rugged and trouble-free character capable of highly accurate and rapid counting and delivery operations.

Coin counters of the class referred to are known, but are usually costly and complex if they are accurate; and many such devices as proposed heretofore, if they are dependable at all, are incapable of high-speed operation, or become inaccurate when fast coin delivery is attempted, or as a result of wear, or in handling thin, worn, and bent COll'lS.

According to the present disclosures the coin-counting operations are essentially mechanical rather than electrical, which is to say that the novel machine does not rely primarily upon electrical pulses caused by switch means directly actuated in some way by the coins themselves, which is deemed a common source of trouble in prior devices arising from Weak or fluttering coin-counting signals where the coin itself, or a switch operated by passage of a coin, is relied upon to produce such counting signal.

In its essential aspects, the novel, selectively pre-set coin-counting mechanim comprises, in cooperative combination, a motor-driven coin-feeding disc and means mounting the same to rotate in an inclined plane, the disc having an annular ledge spaced from its rim such that coins lodged upon said ledge will project slightly beyond said rim, there being a coin-feeding hopper at the lower region of the disc, and the disc having a succession of spaced pins in its face between said rim and the ledge, such that as the disc rotates, coins are picked up from the hopper between pins and carried on the ledge to the top or zenith of the orbital travel of the disc, to pass beneath a coin-sensing means comprising a counting lever having a roller engaged by such coin to rock the lever as the coin passes therebeneath, from which point the coin is guided laterally free of the annular ledge for ejection into a desired receiving means, such guided coin movement being achieved by a guide or track means leading laterally away from the disc ledge and including a knife-point merging into the disc ledge to switch the coin from the latter onto the ejecting guide means, which is located in part beneath said roller means; the coin counting ortotalizing operation being effected by a step-by-step electrical switch means having a ratchet drive operatively connecting with said counting lever to be stepped once for each coinrocked operation of the lever; together with circuit means including pre-selecting counting switches each corresponding to a predetermined desired count of coins to be delivered, and respectively connecting in a control circuit with a driving motor for said disc and corresponding contacts on said counting switch means such that when the latter has been actuated the number of times corresponding to the count of the counting switch operated, the motor will stop automatically.

The apparatus is further characterized by the provision of a resetting circuit means cooperable with the step-bystep switching means and the pre-selecting switches for operation such that the step-by-step switching means is restored to a starting position as an initial operation preliminary to each counting operation.

The apparatus is further characterized by the provision of a coin kick-out means including a kick-out lever ar- 3,273,571 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 ice ranged adjacent the rim of the disc just ahead of the coin counting lever means and normally projecting into the path of a coin advancing toward said lever means and effective to kick or deflect such advancing coin into space to fall back into the hopper, this arrangement being provided to prevent any false count which might arise from momentum of the'disc and motor drive means after the motor is shut off, the arrangement being such that an electromagnetic device is connected with the kick-out or deflector lever to be energized concurrently with the motor so that such lever will be withdrawn from coin-deflecting position so long as the motor continues to be energized, but will be spring-urged to fall back into deflecting position instantly on deenergization of the disc motor, and thereby deflect any coin at that position back into the hopper.

The apparatus is still further characterized by the provision of a cut-out switch associated with the motor circuit and operable to open the electrical feed circuit for the motor and associated parts if the load on the disc motor becomes high enough to cause the motor to overheat.

Other aspects of novelty and utility inherent in the disclosed structures, circuits and combination of parts will become evident as the following description proceeds in view of the annexed drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 depicts an exploded perspective arrange- :ment of essential coin feeding and counting components and certain circuit components and connections comprising the control circuit; and

FIGURE 2 depicts parts of the counting lever and the kick-out lever as viewed from the top looking down upon FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the coin feeding disc 10 is journalled to rotate about the spindle 11 and to be supported at an inclination to the vertical by suitable chassis means indicated schematically, so that the disc lies in a plane making an angle of about 30 with the vertical.

At its lower region the disc rotates past a scoop or hopper 12 resting on chassis fingers 13 and held yieldingly in normal position close to the disc by the springs 14, 14 on opposite sides thereof which permit the scoop to yield outwardly away from the disc in case the coins become packed in a tendency to jam and stop the rotation of the disc, such action occurring by rocking on fulcrum cleats 19 against rim portion 13A of the scoop seating casting which includes the fingers 13.

In the face of the disc is formed an annular coin-supporting ledge 15, so spaced below the periphery or rim 10A of the disc that coins 17 of a given denomination will stand slightly above such rim, as at 17X; and between said ledge and rim are positioned, at intervals somewhat greater than the width of such coins, a succession of pins 18 which respectively lie behind the edge of each coin picked up from the hopper and carry the coin on said ledge upwardly into and through the zenith of the orbital path taken by such pins.

Means for transferring the coins from the ledge 15 into a lateral exit or ejecting guideway comprising a guide or track member 20 having a knife-edge end portion 21 merging closely into the path of the ledge 15 in such manner that the coins will switch from the ledge onto the guide track under continued pushing by one of the pins 18 and be expelled into space at 27 for collection in any suitable container. The guide track means adjoining the knife edge thereof has an angled coin-supporting or riding surface portion 22 pitched so as to cause the coins to hug the disc and frame parts and prevents the coin from slipping off the track. A shield plate 23 may be provided to complete an exit for the guideway for discharge of the coin sidewise into space. See FIGURE 2.

Means for counting the coins as they depart from the ledge comprises a counting lever 24 pivoted as at 25 on suitable parts of the chassis or mounting base for the disc (not shown in detail) so that one end of such lever overlies the exposed upper edge portion of a coin moving on the aforesaid guide track means, there being a coinengagingroller 26 j'ournalled on the end of such lever and having a conical shape of about 15 pitch with the widest part of the roller outermost of the disc so that the upper and lower edge portions of the coin passing therebeneath will in effect be caught between the angled conical roller and the angled riding surface 22 of the guide track, the projecting portions 17X of the coin standing above the rim of the disc causing the counting lever to be positively rocked upwardly as the coin passes along the guideway for ejection.

The innermost rim of the hopper has a somewhat conical flare, as at 12F, FIGURE 1, which forms a coincollecting pocket 16 at the lower region of the carrier disc so that coins tend constantly to collect in said pocket and to work gravitationally in between the pins 18 owing to the 30 angular attitude of the carrier and consequent pitch of the hopper as indicated.

Means for accumulating and totalizing the count of coins actuating the counting lever, comprises any suitable forrn of stepping or ratchet wheel 30 driving rotary switch contactors 56 against a return spring means 32, the gain of the wheel being held for example by a releasable holding pawl 33 adapted to be withdrawn from the ratchet teeth responsive to energization of a resetting coil or solenoid 80 to free the wheel for return to a starting position, the wheel being advanced step-by-step from said starting position by each coin counted through the agency of a stepping pawl 37 acting in the ratchet teeth of said wheel and drivingly connected with the coin-sensing or counting lever means 24, 26 through a spring-relief coupling consisting of a loose fit of the end portion 24A of the counting lever in an oversize slot 38 of a link 38A, and a compression spring 39 on the link pressing against said end portion 24A of the counting lever in the slot to take up the looseness such that the driving effort of the lever is transmitted through the spring into the link and thence to the pawl without regard to the loose fit or whether the lever 24 is being rocked by a coin of lesser or greater diameter than intended. By such a relief coupling the usual variations in the size of the coin due to wear, slight mutilation, etc. will not interfere with positive and sufficient movement of the counting lever and ratchet system to advance the ratchet wheel once for each coin engaging said roller 26. I

In order to prevent any possible miscount due to overriding or momentum effects of the feed disc and the motor system by which it is driven when the current is shut off, a coin kick-out means is provided comprising deflecting or kick-out lever 40v pivoted as at 41 on a suitable bracket 42 supported by whatever chassis means is employed,

FIGURES 1 and 2.

As viewed in FIGURE 2, the kick-out lever is so positioned that a portion 40X of its edge is angled to overlie the path of the upper edges of the exposed edge portions 17X of the coins approaching the same in advancing toward the counting lever, such that if the kick-out lever is inits normal, spring-urged deflecting position, the edge portions 40X will engage the coin and by a cam action dislodge it from the annular ledge to fall into space and back into the hopper.

Means for withdrawing the kick-out lever from said normal deflecting position so as to permit free passage of coins to the counting lever and exit, comprises an electromagnetic solenoid 65 having its plunger 46 drivingly connected as at 47 with a crank extension 41 on the kickout lever, the coil of the solenoid being connected in the operating circuit for disc motor 68 such that when this motor is energized the solenoid will likewise be energized and the kick-out lever will be held in withdrawn or nondeflecting position,

As soon as the motor circuit is interrupted, the solenoid 65 will also be deenergized and the deflecting or kickout lever 40 will instantly be moved by its spring 43 into the deflecting position in the path of the coins and deflect any approaching coin or any coin located in its path back into the hopper and thus prevent its ever reaching the counting means.

The manner of pre selecting the number of coins to be delivered is shown in FIGURE 1 in the circuit connections for the disc motor, the solenoid, the counting switch means and a desired number of selecting or order switches 50 including contacts 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, etc. and respectively representing selections of 2, 6, l0 and 20 coins of whatever denomination the machine is designed to handle.

On closing one of the selecting switches, for example at contacts 50C intended to delivery ten coins, power is applied from the supply conductor 54, contacts 50C, conductor 55, to the counting switch contact segment 51C which corresponds to a count of ten coins, and thence via the movable contactor 56, conductor 57A, to junction 57B, conductor 57C, to one terminal of a relay coil 58, the remaining terminal of which connects via conductor 59 to the power supply conductor 60, as a result of which the relay coil 58 will be energized to attract the movable contact 61 into open-circuit relation with stationary relay contact 62 in order to disable the resetting circuit during the coin counting operation.

The aforesaid closure of the contacts at 50C, having connected power to conductor 57 through the counting switch (in its starting condition), also applies power to conductor 63 at junction 57B, and thence to one terminal 64 of the coin-deflector or kick-out solenoid 65, said conductor 63 continuing in a branch 64A to one terminal 67 of the disc driving motor 68. The remaining motor terminal '66 connects via a branch 60A of the power supply conductor 60 through a normally closed cut-out switch 70 associated with the disc motor and preferably taking the form of a thermostatic switch which will open when the temperature of the motor winding rises above a predetermined value corresponding to the overloading of the motor when the same has become stalled due to a jam-up of coins in the hopper or between the hopper and carrier disc.

As a result of closure of coin-selecting contact 50C and the motor circuit completed as aforesaid via conductors 63 and 64A, the motor will begin to run and cause the coin transporting or carrying disc 10 to rotate at a moderate speed of about 20 rpm. through the gear means including the reduction gear unit 69 and at the same time the coin deflecting solenoid 65 will have its energizing circuit completed via conductor 66A, and the cut-out switch 70 to branch power conductor 60A, so that the solenoid 65 will pivot the kick-out lever 40 into the dottedline position shown in FIGURE 1 and the motor will drive the disc until ten coins have passed beneath the counting lever roller 26, thereby stepping the ratchet wheel 30 once for each such coin through the intermediary of the pawl means 37.

When the ratchet wheel has completed the tenth step, the movable contact element 56 will have run off the stationary contact segment 51C, thus disconnecting the application of power at junction 57B, and therefore removing power from the solenoid 65, the motor 68 and the relay coil 58, as a result of which the motor stops at once, and because the disc is driven through a train of reduction gears 69 it likewise tends to stop instantly; but as a safeguard, the deenergization of the solenoid 65 permits the spring 43 to move the coin kick-out lever 40 back into the full-line position shown inFIGURES 1 and 2, and should any coin be disposed in its path, tfor example the coin C in FIGURE 2, such coin would be deflected from the disc to fall back into the hopper.

As a result of the aforesaid deenergization of the relay coil 58, the movable relay contact 61 will fall back and close circuit with contact 62, thereby applying power from a contact 50CX associated with the selector contacts 506 which were previously operated to select a count of ten coins, and which must remain closed until reset in the manner presently described, power from supply conductor 54 is accordingly present at relay contact 61, so that when the relay drops back on stoppage of the motor as aforesaid, power will be applied via conductor 74, the now closed reset contacts 75, 76, conductor 77 to one terminal of a reset solenoid coil 80, the remaining terminal of which connects via conductor 78 to the branch power supply conductor 60A, so that the coil 80 is energized to attract its plunger '81 connected by suitable linking means designated by the dash-dot line 82 to reset the several selecting switches, including the one operated in the foregoing example to close contacts 500, 50OX to restore the selecting switch means to its normal condition in readiness for another selecting operation.

As another consequence of the energization of the resetting solenoid 80, the holding pawl 33 for the counting switch is withdrawn from the ratchet teeth and the ratchet wheel 30 is turned quickly back to its normal starting or zero position by the spring means 32, it being observed that the rotary or movable counting switch contactor has a projection 73 bearing against the reset contact 76 to disengage it from its companion contact 75, thereby disconnecting power from the resetting solenoid 80 as a result of the resetting of the rotary contact means 56 to its starting position; and since the contact cannot be stepped away from such starting position without another operation of the selecting switch means and the relay means 58, the coil 80 will not be again energized until another counting cycle has been completed to drop out the relay and close its contacts 61, 62 while one 0 f the selecting switches remains in operated condition.

It will be apparent that the angular length or extent of the various stationary contact segments 51C, 51D, etc. on the counting switch determines how far the movable contactor 56 must be advanced from starting position before the energizing circuit for the motor will be interrupted to stop the counting operation, and it will be further apparent that any desired choice of counting totals may be afforded by providing the necessary stationary contact patterns which Will correspond to the time the motor will run and therefore to the number of coins which will be delivered tor a given speed of rotation of the coin carrying disc For most purposes, the electric motor 68 may drive the coin carrier or transport disc at a preferred speed of about 20 revolutions per minute; and the usual disc will have about twenty to twenty-four coin seating or receiving stations or pockets defined by the ledge and pins 18, depending upon the size of coin to be handled, so that one coin or at least one pocket will pass the counting station and the coin sensing means 24, 26 about every one-sixth second, or at a rate of about 360 coins per minute. Such a speed is quite rapid for dependable counting, yet may be effected with the use of a relatively small and low-power, shaded-pole induction motor in conjunction with a reduction gear means 69 coupled to the disc spindle 11. At higher counting rates, proportionally more powerful motors may be required, for highly dependable operation.

Whereas prior types of coin handling apparatus employing a rotary disc carrier and inclined feeding hopper are commonly subject to jamming owing to the multitude of variables which characterize coins, such as thinness, mutilations, soil, etc., the infeed means afforded by the disclosed hopper structure is almost immune to jamming owing to the conical formation of the inner rim portions 12F of the hopper body and the yieldability thereof permitted by the cradling on fingers 13 and the yieldability afforded by the spring means 14 working against the fulcrum cleats 19. One of the commonest jamming conditions is sometimes known as Shingling, in which the coins tend to pile one upon another but slightly ofiset in 6 the manner of shingles lapped one upon another; such a condition builds up a thickness which is wedge-shaped in the pocket 16, but will be quickly broken up by movement of the disc and pins 18 and the automatic relief afforded by outward movement of the conical rim 12F when the pile-up grows large enough.

I claim:

1. In a combination with a rotary transport disc inclined from the vertical and operative to pick up coins at a lower region of its transit and carry the same close to the rim of the disc seriatim upwardly along an upper level into engagement with a coin-sensing means and be yond to a discharge zone, a coin-sensing means in the form of a lever pivotally mounted near said discharge zone with an end portion disposed to move toward and away from the rim of the disc, and a coin-engaging part in the form of a conically-shaped roller rotatable at said end portion of the lever about an axis at approximately right angles to the plane of travel of the coins with the base of the cone disposed away from the disc, and means yieldingly urging the lever and said end and roller thereof in a direction toward said rim to a normal position for engagement with edge portions of coins of given diameter transported therebeneath by said disc, whereby such coins tend to be caught and wedged by the conical pitch of said roller toward the disc to prevent escape from the roller.

2. In coin counting apparatus having a rotary coin transport disc for moving coins serially past a coin-sensing station, means at said station including a movable sensing member moved by each coin sensed and resettable accumulator means comprising a ratchet wheel movable from a starting position to various advanced positions; spring means urging the wheel to said starting position; stepping pawl means actuated by said sensing member to be advanced one step for each coin-operated movement of the sensing member; an electrically-releasable holding means cooperable with said wheel to hold the gain thereof; plural pre-selecting switch means respectively operable for determining various desired numbers of counting steps to be taken by the ratchet wheel; an operating circuit for said motor closed by operation of any said switch means; circuit means controlled jointly by any operated one of said switch means and counting contact means governed by said ratchet wheel in different corresponding advanced counting positions thereof for interrupting said motor circuit to stop the motor; and reset circuit means controlled jointly by said counting contact means and a relay means controlled thereby for actuating said releasable holding means following each interruption of said motor circuit to release the ratchet wheel for return to starting position.

3. In a coin counting mechanism of the type having means for travelling coins in a plane inclined to the vertical for transport from a lowered position to a higher level with edge portions exposed for engagement with a sensing means; coin-sensing means comprising a coinactuated lever means including a lever pivoted for rocking movement about an axis approximately parallel to the plane of the travel of coins and with an end portion of the lever movable toward and away from the edge of the travelling coins, and coin-engaging roller means rotatably mounted on said end portion of the lever to turn about an axis approximately normal to the plane-of said coins, said lever being yieldingly urged to thrust said roller into the path of the exposed edge of the travelling coins, said roller being of conical configuration and having the wider base portions of the cone extending beyond the engaged edge of the coin and an outermost face thereof and in a direction away from said end portion of the lever means, and means providing a support engaged by the opposite face of the coin so that the conical angle of the roller will cause the coin engaged thereby to be urged toward said support to prevent escape of the coin from beneath the roller in travelling therepast.

4. In a coin counting mechanism, a rotatable coin carrier adapted to transport coins seriatum from a lower loading position to an upper discharge position; coinactuated means at a counting station adjacent said upper discharge position; an electric motor for rotating said carrier; a control circuit for energizing and deenergizing said motor; and means for preventing carry-over travel of the carrier following deenergization of the motor, said means comprising a kick-out member mounted for movement into and out of the path of coins travelling toward said coin-actuated means to deflect coins from the disc when in the path thereof and permit their passage to the coin actuated means when out of the path thereof; spring means urging said kick-out member into the deflecting position, and electrical means operable to withdraw the kick-out member from deflecting position and connected for control by said circuit to withdraw the kick-out memher when the motor is in operation, and to permit return thereof to deflecting position when the motor is deenergized.

5. In a coin counter, a support mounting a rotatable coin transporting disc at an inclination with a face of the disc upwards to support coins thereon for movement from a lower infeeding position to an elevated position, and hopper means for feeding coins gravitatingly to the face of the disc at said lower position, said hopper means comprising a coin receptacle having an open coin exit portion and means cooperable with said support movably positioning the scoop in a normal position at an inclination to said face of the disc with said exit portion thereof in close confrontation to said disc face at said infeeding lower portion of the disc to feed coins thereto; spring means acting on the scoop to yieldingly urge the same into said normal position, the scoop being yieldable in the region thereof near said lower infeeding portion of the disc to displacement of said exit portion thereof away from the disc, at least, and from the infeeding portion of the disc responsive to the accumulation of coins stacking up between the disc and the scoop, whereby to alleviate jamming of the disc by coin pile-up.

6. Coin counting apparatus of the preset selectivecount type characterized by the provision of a coin-transporting disc rotated in an inclined plane by an electric motor, the disc having circumferentially-spaced, coinpushing pins in its face above a circumferential ledge such that the pins in rotating past a coin-filled feed-in hopper at the lower region of said disc will cause coins to lodge upon said ledge and be carried upwardly in sequence by the pins to the top of the orbit and thence guided upon a discharge track for ejection sidewise from the disc, there being a coin feeling counter lever adjacent said track and having a coin contacting part engaged by the coin in transit to the track to rock the lever, together with a stepping ratchet means actuated by each coin-rocked operation of the lever, a switch device actuated by said ratchet means and connecting with pre-selecting circuits each corresponding to different desired numbers of coins to be counted and delivered, such that when the stepping mechanism has been stepped a number of times corresponding to the pre-selected count, the corresponding positioning of the switch means will operate a control circuit to stop the motor and interrupt the counting and ejecting actions, there being a further means electrically controlled in said control circuit for dislodging any coin at the top of the orbit in excess of the count at the time the control circuit interrupts the counting and ejecting operations as aforesaid.

7. In a coin counting mechanism, a rotatable coin carrying disc and means mounting the same to rotate unidirectionally at an inclination to the horizontal with one face uppermost; means on said disc face for engaging coins to be carried upwardly from a loading position at a lower part of the disc orbit and transporting such coins seriatim toward an exit in the upper transit; and means for counting such coins comprising a lever disposed to engage an edge portion of each coin passing a predetermined position along said upper transit; said lever rocking about an axis contained in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the transported coin; a conical roller carried by said lever to rotate about an axis approximately normal to the plane of said coin with the wider base portion of the cone disposed outwardly of the plane of the disc and the face of the coin most remote from said disc so that the coin tends to be confined against the disc; a counting device operatively coupled to said lever for actuation by the latter responsive to each movement of the lever caused by transit of a coin into engagement with and past said roller; and means disposed for engagement by coins transported past said roller for guiding coins away from the disc.

8. In a coin counting mechanism, a unidirectionallymovable coin carrier; a motor driving said carrier, means receiving coins in quantity and feeding the same to said carrier for transport thereby sequentially through a predetermined path to a discharge position; coin engaging means situated along said path in advance of said exit and including a counting lever having a part engaged transiently by coins moving toward said exit; a switch having movable contact means adapted to start from and be returned to a starting position and to be advanced therefrom various amounts toward predetermined different counting conditions each corresponding to the counting of a corresponding predetermined number of coins; unidirectionally-acting driving means operatively coupled with said movable contact means for advancing the latter from starting position as aforesaid; means coupling said counting lever with said unidirectionally-acting means for effecting advance of the movable contact means responsive to coin actuations of the counting lever; a plurality of value-number selecting switches each corresponding to a desired predetermined count of coins to be delivered to said exit; plural stationary contact means engaged by said movable contact means and respectively having predetermined different degrees of continuity away from said starting position in the direction of advance of the movable contact means and each corresponding to one of the value numbers of coins to be delivered as aforesaid; and a control circuit including connections between a source of power for said motor, said selecting switches and said movable and stationary contacts for initiating energization of said motor responsive to operation of one of the selecting switches, and for terminating energization of said motor at a time depending upon the degree of continuity of the stationary contact selected from starting position as aforesaid such that the carrier will be moved sufliciently as a result of such motor energization to effect delivery of the number of coins corresponding to the particular selecting switch operated; and means controlled by said circuit for automatically effecting restoration of said movable contact means to starting position at the termination of each counting operation of the motor as aforesaid.

9. In coin-counting apparatus of the type having a coin transporting disc rotated in an inclined plane with an annular ledge about its center of rotation supporing the coins for movement from a lower infeed position to a higher counting and discharge station, and coin-engaged counter sensing means at said station moved by each coin responsive to transit therepast, improvements comprising a counter sensing lever rockable about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the disc and having a portion radial to said axis and disposed to overlie the upper edge portion of coins moving therepast to said station; a coin-engaged roller pivotally carried on said radial portion of the counting lever to rotate about a second axis approximately normal to the plane of the coins moving past the radial portion of the lever as aforesaid, said roller being of conical configuration having a wider base portion disposed outwardly away from the disc and beyond the plane of the outermost face of coins moving relative to the station as aforesaid so that the roller narrows in a direction toward the disc and coins and thereby affords a Wedging engagement with the edge of a coin passing therebeneath to prevent dislodgement of such coin from its support while passing said roller; and means providing a. stationary coin supporting ledge with portions situated beneath said roller and also inclined toward said disc to supplement the wedging action of the roller.

10. Pre-selective coin-counting circuit means comprising, in combination with a coin transporting disc rotatable to pick up coins from an infeed station and transport the same seriatim past a counting station and an electric motor rotating said disc; an energizing circuit for said motor, a coin-moved sensing member at said counting station, a counting ratchet wheel and pawl means actuated by each coin-moved operation of said sensing member to advance said ratchet wheel uniform counting distances for each coin sensed; electrically releasable holding means for holding the gain of said ratchet wheel; means operable on release of said holding means for restoring the ratchet wheel to a zero-count starting condition; a plurality of manually-operable pre-selective count switches each corresponding to a predetermined number of coins to be counted; a starting switch operable to energize the motor circuit to start a counting cycle; counting-switch means comprising stationary and movable contact means in sets each operatively associated with one of the aforesaid pre-selective count switches, the movable contact means of all said sets being moved in step with said ratchet wheel from a starting position corresponding to the zero-count starting position of the ratchet wheel, to various advanced counting positions determined by the counting advance of the ratchet wheel, the stationary contact means of each said set respectively extending through diflerent ranges of movement of the corresponding movable contact means and ratchet wheel from starting position, each said range of movement corresponding to the count of one of said pre-selective count switches and the number of coins to be counted under control thereof; circuit means connecting said count switches and the appertaining sets of movable and stationary contact means for operation respectively to energize said motor circuit and effect the number of counting steps of the ratchet wheel corresponding to the range value of the appertaining counting switch means, and to deenergize the motor circuit on reaching the position corresponding to the pro-selected count thereof; normally open reset circuit means connecting with said releasable holding means for releasing operation thereof and restoration of the ratchet wheel and associated movable contact means to zero-count starting position; and circuit-closing means controlled by each counting switch and actuated thereby on reaching the end of any counting movement thereof for closing said reset circuit.

11. In a coin counter the combination with an inclined rotatable disc transporting coins on an open ledge on a side thereof to a counting means located along the path of rotation, of motor means for rotating the disc; control means operable to start and stop said motor means; movable coin-deflecting means located at a station along said path near and in advance of said counting means; first deflector actuating means normally moving said deflecting means to a normal deflecting position for engagement by coins approaching said station; and second deflector actuating means for moving the deflecting means to non-deflecting position; and means operatively coordinating the operations of said control means with the operations of: said first and second deflector actuating means such that the starting of the motor means is concurrent with movement of the deflecting means to non-deflecting position, and stopping the motor means is attended by movement of the deflecting means back to deflecting position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,982 4/1939 Seemel 133-8 2,348,936 5/ 1944 Sprenger 133-3 2,423,502 7/1947 J-orgensen 1338 2,750,949 6/1956 Kulo et al 133-8 3,144,112 8/1964 Powers et al. 19499X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINATION WITH A ROTARY TRANSPORT DISC INCLINED FROM THE VERTICAL AND OPERATIVE TO PICK UP COINS AT A LOWERR REGION OF ITS TRANSIT AND CARRY THE SAME CLOSE TO THE RIM OF THE DISC SERIATIM UPWARDLY ALONG AN UPPER LEVEL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A COIN-SENSING MEANS AND BEYOND TO A DISCHARGE ZONE, A COIN-SENSING MEANS IN THE FORM OF A LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED NEAR SAID DISCHARGE ZONE WITH AN END PORTION DISPOSED TO MOVE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE RIM OF THE DISC, AND A COIN-ENGAGING PART IN THE FORM OF A CONICALLY-SHAPED ROLLER ROTATABLE AT SAID END PORTION OF THE LEVER ABOUT AN AXIS AT APPROXIMATELY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF TRAVEL OF THE COINS WITH THE BASE OF THE CONE DISPOSED AWAY FROM THE DISC, AND MEANS YIELDINGLY URGVING THE LEVER AND SAID END AND ROLLER THEREOF IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID RIM TO A NORMAL POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH EDGE PORTIONS OF COINS OF GIVEN DIAMETER TRANSPORTED THEREBENEATH BY SAID DISC, WHEREBY SUCH COINS TEND TO BE CAUGHT AND WEDGED BY THE CONICAL PITCH OF SAID ROLLER TOWARD THE DISC TO PREVENT ESCAPE FROM THE ROLLER. 